Game apparatus.



W. C. TAYLOR.

PPPPPPPPPPPPP S.

Witnesses;

Patented May 15, 1917.

P playing board to catch aballrolled WILLIAM G. TAYLOR, OF BLOOMFIELD,NEW JERSEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

reac es.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 25, 1916. Serial No. 74,270.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States,residing in the town of Bloomfield, county of Essex, and State of NewJersey, United States of America, have invented a certain new and usefulGame Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, and which isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to games played upon a game board or table withballs or marbles, and the object is to provide a novel game in which twoplay simultaneously at opposite ends of the board, one projecting theballs thereon from a toy cannon, spring gun or other suitableprojectile-throwing mechanism pivotally mounted to oscillatehorizontally over its playing surface, or marbles may be shot by hand,from one end toward pens at the opposite end of the board, such penshaving scoring values; while his opponent at the same time at theopposite end of the board, attempts by means of a ball-catching device,to catch him out or score against him; and my invention also furnishesmeans for a player to circumvent his opponent so guarding the pens fromentrance in front, by a skilful shot directed against a deflectingpen-partition and through a universal tubular deflector, to deposit aball from the rear into a pen so guarded.

I accomplish these results as shown in the accompanying drawings whereinFigure 1, represents in perspective a game board with my improvementsupon it; Fig. 2 repre sents another form of my invention with ballcourse inclined instead of horizontaL' marginal flanges inclinedinward'iustead of perpendicular, and converging toward the tubulardeflector and extending upward to inclose the ends'of the tubulardeflector, and without subdivision of the ball course or floor of thedeflector into sections or pens, thewhole as represented in Fig. 2,comprising a single ball course and ball catching device. In this formit may be used as a game board or may be made small enough to be used inthe hand of a player upon a upon its shaped tubular deflector boardoverlap in their floor,

surface. Fig. 3 represents a vertical section across the tubulardeflector F and its base or floor L, along the line P of Figs. 1 and 2,and parts similar to those shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are similarlylettered.

A represents the playing surface of a board, B, B, B, marginal flangesthereto, O, C, the pivotal points of a toy spring gun, E, E, partitionsattached to the board and extending vertically above its surface andforming therewith a series of pens extending across the opposite end ofthe board from the pivotal points C, C, the forward part of suchpartitions located radially to said pivotal points and the rear partcurved or bent to a course diverging laterally from such radial course.F'represents a scrollcommencing to curve upward at G in the floor of thepens or immediately back of them and continued in an upward and forwardscroll to a point above the starting point indicated at H, afterdescribing a spirally circular course vertical to the face of the board.This tubular deflector is universal to and opens from and into all thepens and furnishes an unobstructed path fora ball from any pen to anyother pen between itand the center pen. It is represented as joined tothe under side of the board by a lap at I, and the edge of the ping itextends laterally through the series of pens forming a step K as anobstacle against the es cape of a ball after deposit from the tubulardeflector F. Such deflector may, however be formed as a continuation ofthe board, or may be joined with its upper sur face flush, oroverlapping, and such step may be added thereto in the form of an inclined plane extending upward into and terminating in such pens as suchan obstacle step K, or such. obstacle to escape may be formed by atrench or pocket. The pens and tubular deflector as shown in Fig. 1,form ball catching devices. InFig. 2, parts similar or corresponding toparts in Fig. 1 are similarly lettered, except that the ball course,corresponding to J in Fig. 1, is represented .in Fig. 2 in the inclinedplane form and marked J. In Fig. 2, the two side walls of the ballcourse, marked B, B, are

Patented May 15, 1917.

'tion of a point back shown as extended upward to inclose the ends, ofthe tubular deflector F. My device in this form is best adapted for useupon another ball course as a catcher and is hereinafter so referred to.

The advantages and interest in the several games which may be playedwith my apparatus are described as follows:

Preferably the part of the partitions, E, back of the radial course, Icurve in a direcof the central pen leading through the tubulardeflector; I give the central pen the highest value and those on eachside, sively. The opponent will therefore guard the pen of highest valuefrom entrance in front and by a quick shift of his catcher as soon as heperceives the course of the ball, will endeavor to catch the player outor score against him according to the game in play. The player willendeavor, by directing a shot against the partition of a lowerscoringpen to cause the ball to travel in the tubular deflector in a spiral andlongitudinal course and to be deposited in the rear of the guarded penor of a pen of higher value than the one it entered; or by a feint ofsuch a play, he will endeavor to cause his opponent to uncover thecentral pen leaving it open for direct entrance.

I am aware that game apparatus have been made consisting of a board withflange or border walls to keep projectiles upon the board, with a ballprojecting device, pens to receive the balls, and deflectors, and Ithere fore do not claim such a combination broadly, but what I claim asmy invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A game apparatus including a ball course and a ball catching deviceformed of metal or other suitable material, comprising a pen formed withfor retaining a ball and having two side walls, and a scroll shapedtubular deflector extending from such floor in a curve forming an upwardand forward scroll continued sufficiently to pitch a ball backward aftera complete circular course therein.

2. A game apparatus including a ball course, a series of pens extendingacross one end of such course and formed by setting partitions upon andvertical to its playing surface, backed or hacked and surmounted by ascroll-shaped tubular deflector extending from the rear end of suchcourse in an upward and forward scroll continued sufficiently to pitch aball backward after a complete circular course therein.

3. A game apparatus including a ball course, a series of pens extendingacross one end of such course and formed by setting partitions upon andvertical to its playing surface, the forward part of such partitionsbeing located radially to the pivotal point of a projectile-throwingdevice swiveling values decreasing progres-- floor having means therein;

partitions upon and vertical to its playing surface, the forward part ofsuch partitions being located radially to the pivotal point of aprojectile throwing device swiveling horizontally upon said course, andthe rearward part of such partitions being curved or bent in a coursedivergent from such radial course, said pens being backed or backed and,surmounted by a scroll-shaped tubular deflector extending from the rearend of such course in an upward and forward scroll continuedsufficiently to pitch a ball backward after a complete circular coursetherein, and means for retaining a ball in such pens after deposit fromsuch tubular deflector.

5. A game apparatus including a ball course, aseries of pens extendingacross one end of such course and formed by setting partitions upon andvertical to its playing surface, the forward part of such partitionsbeing located radially to the pivotal point of a projectile-throwingdevice swiveling horizontally upon said course, said pens being backedor backed and surmounted by a scroll shaped tubular deflector extendingfrom the rear end of such course in an up ward and forward scrollcontinued sufficiently to pitch a ball backward after a completecircular course therein, the floor of said pens having an inclined planesection, or a step, or trench or pocket therein to prevent the escape ofa ball when deposited from such tubular deflector, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

6. A game apparatus including a ball course, a series of pens extendingacross one end of such course and formed by setting partitions upon andvertical to its playing surface, the forward part of such partitionsbeing located radially to the pivotal point of a projectile-throwingdevice swiveling horizontally upon said course, said pens being backedor backed and surmounted by a scroll-shaped tubular deflector extendingfrom the rear end of course in an upward and forward scroll continuedsufliciently to pitch a ball backward after a complete circular coursetherein, the floor of said pens having an inclined plane section, or astep, or trench or pocket therein to prevent the escape of a ball whendeposited from such tubular deflector, substantially as described, aftera complete circular course therein, suband a ball-catching device formedof metal stantially as and for the purpose described. 01' other suitablematerial, comprising a pen In testimony whereof, I have signed my formedWith floor having means therein for name to this specification in thepresence of 5 retaining a ball, and having two perpendiew twosubscribing Witnesses.

lar side-Walls inclosing the ends of a seroll shaped tubular deflectorand such tubular de- WViLLIAM TAYLOR fleetor extending from such floorin a curve Witnesses: forming an upward and forward scroll con- RAYMONDTAYLOR,

10 tinned sufliciently to pitch a ball backward LILLIAN TAYLOR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 1

